The present invention relates to providing assistance in identifying vehicles of interest to law enforcement, and more specifically to identifying vehicles of interest to law enforcement through the use of other vehicles within a geographic region of the vehicle of interest.
Many occasions exist when law enforcement or governmental authorities seek the assistance of motorists in locating other vehicles. One of the most well-known situations in which the assistance of motorists is sought is “Amber Alerts”, standing for America's Missing: Emergency Response. Once law enforcement determines that a child has been abducted, they notify broadcasters and state transportation officials. Amber Alerts interrupt regular programming and are broadcast on radio and television, as well as on highway signs. The alerts can also be issued on lottery tickets, to wireless devices, and over the Internet. Amber Alerts seek assistance from motorists and direct the motorists to watch for certain vehicles with identifiable license plates or other features. Other occasions in which citizens are requested to assist the authorities also exist related to missing persons and/or criminal activity. Currently, this is a manually intensive task, where people of an area are notified by electronic billboards, television news shows, and other media. People are then directed to call the authorities if they spot the vehicle with the identified characteristics.